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Wasn’t it exciting? Hearing President Barack Obama speak, wasn’t it amazing to
see a man move so many people; young, old, black, white, gay, straight, gangsters and rednecks. Throughout the whole campaign, we have seen tears of joy, tears of shock & just plain ol’ “is this happening tears.” It is something to truly be proud of, this election has strengthened so many relationships and had us all talking with people we normally wouldn’t.

The youth showed the world that we do care about the issues, we do care about our future and maybe we can make a change. President Obama has done more than just win an election, he has united a “DIVIDED” states of America that we “call” united and for the next few years we shall look forward to many more historic moments and unforgettable speeches.

YAY, We got a Black President! …Now WHAT? One man can NOT make that “change” alone so why do some of us really believe and think that? Chants of Obama were heard on every hood corner but what can Obama truly do? Those colorful signs of the Next President with one word messages, “Hope” & “Change”, does what for the change of “us.” That message was to serve as a message to us as a whole, to change as well as the government and the way things happen.

Now that the election is over what do we do? Do we go back to leading the same lives? Or should we ALL get involved in the overall change needed to make this nation better. Many voted for Obama because he was black and it seemed like the right thing to do, some voted for him because of the media coverage others just simply did because everyone else was doing it. Truth be told Obama was the right choice not the default choice, he was a better candidate than the rest.

Being Black played a factor but he did not win on the black vote. The Black Vote ALONE cannot win you an election so when should the criticism stop? Over 40 years ago many fought, died and flat out BEGGED for an opportunity to vote, be involved and today we ignore those voices, our race has simply let others live our lives for us.

We always ask for change and would love for the blame to be someone else’s but what can we contribute to truly make things better?

By K.E.L.L.s

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As We grow up in a system set up for us to fail we all were told the same thing “YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT,” most Often told to us by an elderly white teacher just as a cute gem to drop to the kiddies and build hope, but on Tuesday November 4th, 2008 with the landslide victory of Barack Obama that saying now holds a new meaning, it creates more than hope and a cheerful chant of “yes we can,” it is as equally significant as that famous black and white video of a man rightfully named “KING” telling us about his dream.We now own a piece of history and when I say us I mean just that “US.” The power of not only the black race but minorities as a whole is truly amazing all it takes is one of us to “get” there and the floodgates are open, giving our people a sense of accomplishment and a “can-do” spirit.

November 4th has broken more historical silence than just electing the first black prez, we own history now, we came out in record numbers, young, old, rich and poor. We can truly now instill in our young generation that anything is possible…

Not saying every little ray-ray, lil’ roc, pookie and ‘dem can now become president but it now gives our young children a new dream of what “making” it is. When we were young success was defined as someone wit Tons of money and/or the illusion of it, usually a rapper or athlete. Our generation as well as the young now have someone who looks just as they do with the same color skin. We now have a new face of success in the least likely of places, yes I can, can now be followed by “yes I will.”

Politics rule the world; many never took interest in it, not out of ignorance but out of the cspan’s and cnn’s that would make any subject and/or topic sound boring as watching paint dry on a wall. Senator Obama changed the face of what success is as well as what being cool is. Cool, calm & collected at all times, never rising above his “inside” voice to get a point across, this is the role model we truly need.

Bobby Kennedy, in 1968, said in 40 years we will have a black president.” (Jewel Dropped). Being the first is spotlighting yourself with a sense of “super hero” pride and just as the plight of a super hero whom starts out human, still has human emotions and makes mistakes, it’s the cliché saying of “the gift and the curse.”

Senator Obama, soon President Obama, Can Not Fix our problems overnight, nor can he correct the wrongs of a failed government in one term. Our “Leaders” had an eight year head start on destroying the system. Yes we made history but for the next few years we need to keep this pro-Obama montage up and help a brother out. We can not afford to let ignorance take over this moment in history, many expect things to change instantly.

We “use” to ask for change, we got it and things still remained the same, what’s up wit’ that will become the moniker of many of our first time voters and coming directly from our race. Eighteen years ago David Dinkins became the first Afro-American to hold the office of mayor in NYC and just as obama his shadow was being “the first.” There is tremendous pressure; some people couldn’t organize their closet let alone the free world. So don’t expect one man to perform a magic trick and fix our problems instantly.

Obama WILL not fix the country over night, a mighty feat he won? YES, but he needs more than calendars hung and t-shirts worn to really reach a victory, many of us didn’t think our voice would be heard or vote would count but it was and it did.

We got the “change” now let’s make a change.

By K.E.L.L.s

They Didn’t Give Us 40 Acres &
A Mule so we’ll Take 50 States &
A White House! HOW COOOOL!

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The most prominent word in any hood is “real.” Some people entire existence is defined by the word or what they perceive as the definition of what “real” is. Aside from what’s “real” the word we often miss is “respect.” For “real” to work we must have respect. Without respect nothing you do will ever be real. People who live to portray what’s “real” usually really live horrible lives because they lack respect. Jails are filled with “real” individuals who really live that life and love to keep it “real.”

Most problems in the hood are a direct result from dudes wanting to show love and display how real they are. If a friend is killed, a dude will kill another out of “love” even If the family of the victim ask for “respect” to not take any vengeance. Love Is killing the hood, being real is fueling it and respect is neglected from it.

Many events in the hood are ruined because of “love” when we actually need to spread respect. Love Is what brings problems to our events respect should keep It away.

Keeping it real will always be a problem in our hoods, what most dudes don’t get is the real test of what’s real is longevity and what you can offer your community to help it beyond representing it.

Don’t overdose on the “REAL.”

By K.E.L.L.s

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Why are you scared? What’s the point of having a voice if you don’t use it? 40 years ago being a leader and/or having a voice willing to speak up against B.S and ignorance meant something. Today we dismiss it and anyone who is outspoken. Many people can’t stand another who speaks what they feel; the idea of someone speaking their mind is too overwhelming for them to comprehend. We substitute real for the fake and we’re entertained by what we presume as real.

We live in a time of instant gratification and listening to the words of an ordinary person seems outrageous to some. “Come on wit’ that rev run shit” and/or positive thinking is what most say/hear everyday, then we turn around and praise Dr. King or Malcolm X? There are everyday people in each of our lives that need/deserve/have earned that respect of an ear to listen to him/her but reality of world is dismissive. We often choose contradictions to how we think. Most of the time we want positive thinkers but the idea of someone constantly being positive doesn’t seen genuine so we dismiss it.

Many people in our everyday circles are way more influential and forward thinking than you may know. Embrace It.

Stress will make you lose sleep, feel unease and make you very anxious; the pressure of life and to do right is an added weight to your shoulders. What really matters in life? Is it money? Is it family? Whatever you want to get out of life you can get it. We can all easily go out into the world and make tons of money, but at what price? Your freedom? Your morals?

It’s easy for any of us to get up, get out and get something but what the fuck do we want? Life is scary, we have total control to do anything and regardless of the outcome we control our life. That’s a dangerous & scary notion because life has so many temptations the pressure is intense.

The road to the wrong path is always tempting, easy money and a fast profit is a very hard thing to turn down. To do right is to live right but at what point does living right become so overwhelming that doing wrong seems easier?

It’s a battle within you. Should I work hard now and benefit from it later? Or work hard later and not worry about it now? The statistics of life are real numbers and even with all the numbers, facts and examples we still make proven mistakes? People who are rich choose to work hard at some point in their life to achieve that wealth. We all got to grind at some point the question is when will you?

Is life short? Whoever came up with that saying obviously didn’t have much going for themselves because life is long, it can easily become long and drawn out with the wrong decisions. The pressure to do right is not a part time thing is a full time job. Adding to that pressure is the task of being black man and/or minority. We have to work ten times as hard, most often, to get the same outcome of our racial counterparts.

A black man needs to support of his lady. We often play strong but the pressure to do right is intense and the support and encouragement is needed always. Most times were so preoccupied trying hard to not to do wrong that nothing seems right. We often see and hear many saying ‘products of my environment’ and the pressure to do right is hard when it seems no matter how much you try to change you will always remain the same.

Our community lacks positive influences and many times we forget that. We forget the lack of good role models & that need of an extra voice for granted. Your whole life can change in one second and as a man that is a hard pill to swallow. Rather than chop men down build us up. A man won’t tell you but he needs a woman that’s not only there for him but willing to understand what he’s going through.

Females charge everything to the individual rather than the pressure that man has. The spotlight is always on us to do right. Think logically about your man rather than figuratively. Most men are deeply in love with their mate but the bigger picture is our future and/or success. Coretta Scott King once said “the hardest part about being with a man of passion is understanding that passion.” Women don’t understand men want to provide but the pressure to do right is so overwhelming for some.

If our women backed us up, and vice versa, imagine the feats we can accomplish if we gave each other had that perfect push

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Many things separate social networking sites like myspace and facebook apart from twitter. On Twitter we’re forced to view opinions and/or ideas we
1. sometime don’t care a bout
2. don’t always agree with and
3. don’t wish to see.

Between RTs , inconsistent tweople, party promotions and the ever present “yo listen to my song” tweets many have just resorted to scrolling right past your “epic” tweet or something you felt was important to read.

Ever see a question tweeted and/or statement then see them RT they self a few minutes later? Or see them say, “So nobody goin’ answer me huh?” That’s someone who doesn’t realize that they’ve just been buried alive by the bulk of nonsense on a “friend’s” timeline.

The problem with following people based on one day of agreeing with them is that we all have millions of different ideas, if someone tweets something you agree with on a Tuesday, you follow them, but on that Wednesday they start talking about some ol’ other stuff that you don’t agree with, without even realizing it most times you question them “This can’t be the same person, how could he/she say this!?” We grow attachments to the people we follow and expect certain things from them forgetting that we’re all different from day to day.

A large percentage of time on twitter is spent scrolling. Gurantee you most of your tweets are not getting the attention it deserves because of this. Your good thoughts and/or opinions get buried alive. Your good words may be falling on death ears. Try not to get buried alive.

Social networking has caused a serious delusion in social skills. Daily we see people step full beyond their area of expertise or modify their character just to appease the people they have following them…err I mean “friends.” Somewhere twitter has confused some to who or what reality is. Many people truly believe the hundreds sometime thousands of people following them are friends and support anything they’re doing. There are many people that truly believe people care about what they’re saying or tweeting. The reality of twitter is a large percentage of follows are courtesy follows, most people follow you because you followed them, some follow just because and others just followed for no reason. With the brilliant app option of mute many people are truly stuck in the muted twilight zone, the courtesy follow has claimed their existence without them even knowing it.

The courtesy follow does exist. Some cannot differentiate what is real and what is ‘twitter,’ when you sign on your logging into a parrelel world filled with people you may meet one day, some you may never see in real life and people who do not care to meet or see you. The unreal realm of twitter has created social monsters and help develop character for most, wheter it for the better or most time worst.

Social networking tricks such as #teamfollowback has a large group of otherwise ‘uncool’ people believing the thousands following them are true friends. Based on follower numbers many have tried things they otherwise wouldn’t because they believe the hype of their follower numbers. Party promoters born party promoters failed. Rap career started rap career dead. The problem with #teamfollowback is that after a while people scroll pass your name, your numbers are so high no one cares what your saying.

Digital depression is real, ever be on all day then sign out? Doesn’t it feel like something is off or something is missing? Now magnify that into a person who believes their followers are real life numbers of who is their friend. So are you stasified with your followers…err I mean “friends?”

By K.E.L.L.s

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A while ago, a young Harlem dude lost his life after a back and fourth argument via twitter turned real. Stemming from something that wouldn’t bother most people, something that could have easily been ignored or disregarded.

The problem with most people is that they dismiss everything to not be held accountable for anything. Twitter possesses one of the worlds most deadly weapons ever created. Way before guns, knives or even violence; words was and still is the most powerful tool we all possess to hurt others.

Your words may not penetrate everyone’s natural defenses, but some have a lower tolerance than others. Some people are set off from the most serious of things to most minor, consisting of topics varying from family to street creditability all the way to materialistic things, such as who has more money or who crew is better. You never know who is serious, who is easily pushed to that point or who is really “about that life,” so is it just twitter?

A high percentage of real life beefs are now started and is fueled by “just twitter.” The constant interaction with people you may dislike is too overwhelming for some. The ever-constant use of the word now made famously by twitter “subliminal” and indirect shots is not handled well by most people. With the urge to’ keep it real’ and not look like a sucker many spill they problems from a social site onto the streets.

Twitter is real. Most dismiss it as “just twitter” to justify the things they say. Depending on who you follow will give a different definition to “it’s just twitter” but for the small percentage of people who can’t differentiate the entertainment of twitter from the streets it ain’t just twitter. Real problems arise from twitter because it is wheeled by real people; some who can’t handle seeing their name tweeted with a derogatory statement after, it just simply boils their blood.